For many individuals, blogging is a hobby – an outlet for sharing their activities, insights, and passions with the world. But for businesses and organizations, blogs are valuable marketing tools that can make a big difference in terms of brand awareness and credibility. We know it’s a little bit meta to blog about the importance of blogging, but we want to make sure you know why it’s so crucial.
Here are five reasons why your business or organization should consider developing a blog:
Blogging improves SEO
When you strategize around your business or organization’s website, search engine optimization (SEO) is likely top of mind. And when it comes to SEO, blogging can make a huge difference in your results. Here’s why: The more often your website is updated with fresh content, the more likely it is to be picked up by search engines. For most businesses and organizations, basic website content isn’t very dynamic, as most elements (your mission, team, and contact information, for example) don’t change often. Developing a blog will give you the opportunity to continually create and share new content, which will improve your search rankings. The inclusion of relevant (i.e. your mission and services) will also help you to get picked up by search engines. Again, without this dynamic content, keyword integration opportunities are limited, and your search engine results may remain stagnant.
Blogging gives you a platform for sharing important information
Social media is a great outlet for sharing your organization’s updates and news. But on platforms like Facebook and Twitter, conciseness is key (if not necessary), and content is fleeting. Blogs, on the other hand, give you a place where you can talk about what your business or organization is working on in greater detail. Whether you’re sharing information about an upcoming event, expert advice on a topic relevant to your industry, or the results of a recent project or campaign, you can provide your followers with important information that will keep them coming back. Plus, if you share content that will be useful indefinitely, you can refer back to the blog post repeatedly.
Blogging provides fodder for engagement & relationship-building
Is there an organization or individual in your industry with whom you would like to connect, but you don’t have a warm lead? Blog about them! Or at the very least, share with them one of your posts that you think they would find interesting. Reaching out to someone you don’t know without a reason is daunting, and often unsuccessful. By sharing relevant information with them, you’ll not only make the connection you’re hoping for – you’ll also prove your value as a partner. And if you really admire their work, you can use your blog to share information about them with your own following, which is even more valuable.
Blogging also gives your brand a voice, and encourages individuals to get to know you on a deeper, more personal level. By creating that additional connection, you will set yourself apart from other similar brands, and turn your followers into customers or brand ambassadors.
Blogging allows you to establish thought leadership
When deciding whether or not to engage with your brand, other businesses and individuals want to be sure that you are a credible expert in your field. One of the best ways to do that is simply by sharing your knowledge and expertise on subjects that are relevant to your industry. Think of topics that you would want to know about if you weren’t already an expert, and share the insights that you’ve gained through your own experiences and research. A blog is the perfect platform for establishing yourself or your business as a thought leader in your space.
Blogging drives traffic to your website
Because you’ll be using your blog to share exciting news and expert knowledge about topics relevant to your industry, your content will probably be a very popular element of your digital offering. When you blog, you can supplement links to the stagnant information available on your website, which people will only click on once or twice to get the information that they need. As a result, sharing your dynamic blog content will likely lead to an increase in click-throughs and subsequent website traffic. People want to click on information that is both new and valuable to them, and blogging opens up countless opportunities for you to provide it.
So if you haven’t already started a blog, it might be time to consider it. No matter your organizational goals, blogging can serve as a valuable element of your marketing strategy.
Already have a blog? What does your organization blog about? Share with us, and we’ll pass it along to our followers! Here’s how: